October 28th One Year Bible Readings
~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Jeremiah 51:54-52:34 ~ Titus 3:1-15
Psalm 100:1-5 ~ Proverbs 26:18-19
Old Testament - We reach the end of the book of Jeremiah today! This has been a fascinating book for me to read this year! I definitely learned a lot more about prophets, the fall of Jerusalem and Babylon. I hope this has been a good learning experience for you as well? Jeremiah chapter 51 closes out Jeremiah's prophecies, ending with his prophecies against Babylon. Tomorrow we start the book of Lamentations! And actually, we're getting a good set up for Lamentations in Chapter 52 of Jeremiah today. I think as you read the end of chapter 51, you might think - okay, this should be the end of this book, correct, as verse 64 in chapter 51 tells us - "This is the end of Jeremiah's messages." But... chapter 52 is in here to remind readers of the fall of Jerusalem, and to segue way into the book of Lamentations. Below is the painting "Jeremiah Laments the Devastation of Jerusalem" by Rembrandt. (1630. Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum.)
Chapter 52 is sad to read - particularly when you think back to all of the work of the Israelites in Solomon's day in creating the temple. Also I think back to the work of others earlier in the Old Testament who built up the walls of Jerusalem. All of this destroyed and burned. I read somewhere that it's speculated that the Ark of the Covenant was probably destroyed during this time period, in the fire at the Temple. It is so sad to think about this day in Jerusalem's history...
At the very end of chapter 52 we see a few verses giving hope for Israel's line to continue. So, how has been reading the book of the prophet Jeremiah been for you this year? What have you learned from this book? How can you apply these learnings to your life today? Whenever we reach the end of any book in the Bible, I like to take a few moments to sit back and think about what God taught me through each particular book. I hope you can find this time to do the same whenever you reach the end of reading or studying a book in the Bible.
New Testament - Today we also finish up Paul's letter to Titus! The very short letter to Philemon begins tomorrow. The first couple verses of Titus chapter 3 are interesting to me - "Remind your people to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. They must not speak evil of anyone, and they must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone." Paul is reminding the church at that time to submit to governmental authority - to be obedient. And to do what is good. This reminds me of Jesus saying in the Gospels - "give to Caesar what is Caesar's. And to God what is God." So, there does certainly seem to be a call to be good citizens of the communities we live in - as we strive to be good citizens of the kingdom of God simultaneously. Do you think these two can happen simultaneously? Or are there points where there may be a conflict between our obedience to God and obedience to the world's civil laws & governments?
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings titled "Instructions to Live as Good Citizens in the World" is at this link.
Psalms - Today we read Psalm 100! I will copy this short Psalm below. Does this Psalm speak to you? Do you feel joy while reading this song? I have read much of “The Life You’ve Always Wanted” by John Ortberg (a great book!) and he has a great chapter on JOY being a spiritual discipline. It is amazing to realize that Joy is a gift from God we should be experiencing every day. I pray you are experiencing joy as a spiritual discipline! Think this Psalmist in Psalm 100 was?
Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving thanks.
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
When is the last time you shouted for joy to God? Do you regularly worship God with gladness? Do you come before our Heavenly Father with joyful songs? Do you know that you are God’s? Is this fact alone worth being joyful about each and every day?
Proverbs - Proverbs 26 verses 18 & 19 are so true... "Just as damaging as a mad man shooting a lethal weapon is someone who lies to a friend and then says, "I was only joking." Please don't lie to your friends ever as a joke... this is such a bad idea... In my past I did lose a friendship this way, which I deeply regret. Lying jokes aren't funny at all!
Comments from you - What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless,
Mike
I found Jeremiah really tough to get through. So much bad news delivered by poor Jeremiah and so many stiff-necked people. Thanks be to God for the promises of the future, but to face that kind of judgment is hard to read about--never mind withstand. And now Lamentations??? Anyone else finding it hard to stick with all of these hard sayings???
Posted by:Micah Girl | October 28, 2006 at 10:04 AM
Re Mike's thoughts and questions on the letter to Titus and obedience to the world's civil laws & governments:
Yesterday and today reading Paul I got the feeling he was calling for Christians to life a respectable life according to the society in which they lived in order to avoid criticism. They should demonstrate that by their orderly lives that Christians are OK people, worthy of respect by members of society. In some ways this appears super bourgeois.
And there are a few points where you can really question whether and how they apply in our times:
- "urge the younger women ... to be busy at home ... to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." (Titus 2:4-5 TNIV)
- "Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything ... so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive." (Titus 2:9-10 TNIV)
In current society is it unchristian for wives to be busy in work outside the home, is a marriage where the partners are equal unchristian, is it OK for Christians to have slaves, is it OK for Christians to be slaves without protesting? Would such attitudes bring teaching about God into disrepute in our society?
On the matter of civil disobedience, I think there are situations where Christians and others are justified in not following the requirements of the law. If your government goes to war and wants to draft you into the armed forces, you are allowing yourself to go into slavery in a sense and you have a duty to carefully consider whether your duties and actions will conform to the requirements of discipleship under the Lord Jesus. This question becomes even more critical if your government goes into an illegal war.
In the country where I live, laws were passed a few years ago to create a form of civil marriage for homosexual couples. One of the civil servants whose job was solemnising civil marriages got into quite serious legal difficulties because she refused to act for homosexual marriages on grounds of her Christian belief.
A while ago I had an interesting day in court as a proud father while two of my daughters were on trial for civil disobedience in a case which they regarded as a matter of freedom of speech. You can read the story at http://isthistheway.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/08/keeping_track_o_1.html
Greetings,
Andrew B
Posted by:Andrew B | October 28, 2006 at 11:59 AM
I did have a rambling of questions as I closed Jeremiah as it pertains to Evil-Merodach showing this kindness to King Jahoiachin. I could not help for wondering his motives behind it. Has it ever been speculated as to why he released him and treated him this well? Some of the questions that fired off automatically were (1) Was he genuinly respectful in acknowledging J as a king, maybe due to J being at the end of his life and wanting to give him a king's exit? (2) Was he placing emphasis on J's fate being in Evil-Merodach's hands, placing himself in a position as though a god? (3) Was it a psychological warfare effort as it pertains to the rest of the captives? (4) Was it knowing the prophecy of Jeramiah and thinking if he did this he would get Baylon off the hook?
The thing that rung through my head and heart was the damaging consequences from one's disobedience and sin. Everything one generation worked for destroyed because of another generation's infidelities. I think about today's generation, and not one particular ethnicity, but the whole, including believers (myself). This book definitely adds to the list of recent revelation that are causing me to examine myself soberly and realistically at how if I don't repent, actively of my junk, and walk in true worship and obedience, everything that my ancestor and heroes worked for as well s the inheritance that is to be left for my children's children can be destroyed and go down the drain. As I, myself, am at one of those crossroads in my journey where I know I am being called to to step up and into a black and white relationship with my Lord, as hard as it is to have look soberly into my life and devotion to Him, it was refreshing to read "For the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever." He is good. I have tasted that goodness before so I recognize it. It is relieving to be reminded of His mercy and how it does endure forever. Pray for your brother please.
Posted by:K | October 28, 2006 at 05:07 PM
Jeremiah 51:54-52:34
Jeremiah is one of my favorite books and I am sad to see our readings come to an end. My love of Jeremiah has been a growing process. The first time I read through this book way back in 1985 I just read it with no clue or understanding what it was about. I had mad a decision to read the entire Bible and I had set my face toward that end whether I understood what I was reading or not and I certainly didn’t understand Jeremiah. My motivation for my continuation for reading through the Bible came from three sources: 1) my desire to never again allow anyone to interpret or explain the scriptures to me because of being around multitudes of people who twisted scripture for their sick purposes; (2 & 3) an explosive encounter with a passage in Isaiah and Galatians during my first journey through the Bible. The two encounters would leave me a wash in tears, cleansing me as I realized the god I had created in my head because of being in a spiritually abusive church and family, was not the True God.
Reading the Bible can be like chewing wood, an analogy I’ve used countless times. Yet, when one gets a revelation, an understanding that was never seen or experienced before in just one verse or sentence, the remainder of the Book becomes like a piece of land that has buried diamonds. As long as one is willing to put the work in, put the shoulder, and back into finding each valuable gem, then the process of searching takes on a completely new meaning. Jeremiah began coming alive to me in my tenth year of going through the Bible but that first new encounter was scary. I shuddered at the destruction and became confused trying to figure out who was talking to whom and through whom.
Anything built on a lie will collapse and Jeremiah gives proof of that. What becomes scary for us is when we realize that what is surrounding us, what is supporting us is a lie and we decide we would rather not change. When our loved ones won’t change when we have thought about changing and we procrastinate in effecting the change that is needed because they won’t come with us. We at first pray for God’s Mercy to take effect, but Mercy is a gift and is at the behest of the giver. After awhile when we still haven’t changed we then tell God He has to accepts us the way we are because, after all, “God you’re God and I want you too.” The Bottom Line is this: Anything outside of God is a BIG FAT LIE. Us believing that lie will not make it Truth, it is still a BIG FAT LIE.
Jeremiah is a case study in destruction: the underpinnings that lead to collapse. Jeremiah takes always all the excuses we have created for ourselves for not effecting change. We cannot say that God never gave us a warning or lovingly called to us to STOP IT and GET OUT, God’s mercies are clearly evident in the book.
Jeremiah also shows us that God, in a box (Arc of the Covenant) our out of the box is still God. He shows us that despite our big or small buildings where we go to worship, God can choose to vacate the premises before, after and during destruction and He still remains God. Our building projects, our skill in designing beautiful sanctuaries and stain glass windows, parking lots that can hold thousands of cars so their occupants can enter a big or small building to worship, does not mean God is in the midst—God cannot be contained or boxed by man.
What scares us when we read Jeremiah is the realization that we cannot control God.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
Posted by:Ramona | October 28, 2006 at 07:09 PM